Apparatus for spinning of fibrous material



July 15, 1969 J. RAJNOHA ETA!- 3,455,097

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OP FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28, 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dams/4v 0 m4, BY Lao/slaw 25m y 15, 1969 J. RAJNOHA ETAL 3,455,097

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OF FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28, 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 1 74 :Hlzo 1 T 6,,"

J 9 INVENTQR.

arc V Q n 04 La dis/q v u reg AHD VH6 y July 15, 1969 J. RAJNOHA ETA!- 3,455,097

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OF FIB'ROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28, 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS BY Laolrs /q u July 15, 1969 J. RAJNOHA EPA!- 3,

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OF FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28, 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 zzzzzz: \NQQ 20 29 JO 2/ v M INV NI'ORJ Ga 9 July 15, 1969 J. RAJNOHA ETAL 3,455,097

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING 0F FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28. 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 90m: la INRVENTORi u q a Q BY Lao 1'5 lm/ 44 J/ 'olml I J ##o nay July 15, 1969 J. RAJNOHA ETAL 3,455,097

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OF FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28, 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVE TQRJ 70ros/au g, 404:: BY Ladm/m/ ures My 1969 J. RAJNOHA mL 3,455,091

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING 0F FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28, 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORJ 9 a ros lav R 4 7204:: BY Lad/x /m/ @101 v\ x l ;l I l l n l x I I l 1 l l I l l July 15, 1969 J. RAJNQHA ETAL 3,455,097

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OF FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28, 1968 9 sheets-sheet 8 BY aw f. m

A nay INVENTOR$ yaras/au Q L o/ 3 /m/ ll 'fg y 1969 J. RAJNOHA ET AL 3,455,097

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OF FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 28. 1968 9 SheetsSheet 9 m .r. $1914., ,h fc ney INVENTORJ United States Patent Clfice 3,455,97 Patented July 15, 1969 3,455,097 APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OF FIBROUS MATERIAL Jaroslav Rajnoha, Tyniste nad Orlici, and Ladislav Bures,

Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Vyrkumny Ustav Bavlnarsky, Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia Filed May 28, 1968, Ser. No. 732,675 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia, June 1, 1967, 3,986/ 67 Int. Cl. D01h 7/30 US. Cl. 57-58.95 27 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A housing defines an internal cavity. A first element is mounted in the cavity for rotation and includes a hollow rotatable shaft member. A second element is also mounted in the cavity for rotation and includes a second shaft member which extends through the hollow first shaft member. First and second drives are respectively associated with the first and second elements and drive the sec ond shaft member at a higher rotatioinal speed and in the same direction as the first shaft member. Antifriction bearing means mounts the second shaft member in the first shaft member axially therewith for rotation relative theret0.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to apparatus for spinning of fibrous material in general, and more particularly for ringless spinning of textile fibers. Still more specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for ringless spinning of textile fibers by means of underpressure rotary spin ning chambers.

Apparatus is known wherein an underpressure rotary spinning chamber is mounted in the body of a spinning unit, with a carding roller being provided for separating the fibrous material which is to be spun, the apparatus having a cover closing an open side of the spinning chamber and the carding roller being provided in this cover. The spinning chamber, which has an interior collecting surface on which fibers are deposited subsequent to carding and separation by the carding roller, and on which under the influence of rotation of the spinning chamber these fibers are twisted into a yarn which is then withdrawn from the spinning chamber, is driven by a belt and the carding roller is mounted on a drive shaft for rotation about an axis which extends at right angles to the axis of the spinning chamber.

In another known apparatus of this type, both the spinning chamber and the carding roller are mounted for rotation about axes passing through both of these components and the carding roller projects partly into the Open side of the spinning chamber. In this apparatus both the spinning chamber and the carding roller rotate about a common axis but each of them is mounted on a shaft facing away from the respectively opposite component.

These apparatuses sufier from various disadvantages, one of which is their relative complexity. It is difficult to service these devices and, if for instance they need to be cleaned, either the housing or the cover must be removed in order to gain access to the interior of the rotary spinning chamber.

A further and very important disadvantage of known constructions of the general type here under discussion is the fact that in order to attain high operational parameters the spinning chamber rotates at the highest speed which the bearings mounting the spinning chamber can withstand. This means that the output, that is the speed at which yarn being produced in the spinning chamber can be Withdrawn, is limited by the rotational speed of the spinning chamber, it being obvious that the higher this rotational speed is, the higher will be the rate at which the yarn is being produced and at which it can be withdrawn. Furthermore, the speed of rotation of the spinning chamber of course affects the number of twists in the yarn. As pointed out, this rotational speed cannot be increased at will but is governed by the limitations imposed by the bearings. Thus, the higher the rotational speed, the shorter the life of the bearings will be and this is of course an important consideration in textile machines which run almost continuously. Because of this limiting factor the service life of known device for ringless spinning of textile fibers is considerably shorter than is economically practicable and desirable.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a highly advantageous apparatus of the type under discussion which is reliable and simple in its construction, and which has an improved operational capability and longer service life.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus wherein the entire device is constructed in compact manner and can be readily serviced or cleaned.

An additional object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus wherein it is possible to attain a higher rotational speed of the spinning chamber with the same bearings which have been used heretofore, that is to attain a higher rotational speed than was heretofore possible with these bearings.

Summary of the invention In accordance with one feature of our invention we provide, in an apparatus of the type here under discussion, housing means, a first element mounted in the housing means for rotation and including a hollow rotatable first shaft member, and a second element also mounted in the housing means for rotation and including a second shaft member which extends through the first shaft member. First and second drive means are respectively associated with the first and second elements and are adapted for driving the second shaft member at a higher rotational speed than and in the same direction as the first shaft member. Antifriction bearing means mounts the second shaft member in the first shaft member c0- axially therewith and for rotation relative thereto. With this construction we assure that the speed of rotation of the second shaft member relative to the antifriction bearing means is reduced in response to rotation of the first shaft member in the same direction as the second shaft member.

A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides for having at least some of the air-escape channels of the rotary spinning chamber communicate With the interior of the carding roller which constitutes the aforementioned first element whereas the rotary spinning chamber constitutes the second element.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment the spinning chamber is at least in part located in the interior of the carding roller.

It is also advantageous to provide an annular recess in the interior of the carding roller, to have this recess communicate with outlet means, and to have the airescape channels of the spinning chamber communicate with the annular recess.

It is particularly advantageous if the shaft of the spinning chamber is provided at its end with a small belt pulley and if the hollow shaft of the carding roller is similarly provided with a belt pulley. However, another advantageous construction provides for constructing the end portions of the shaft of the spinning chamber as well as of the hollow shaft of the carding roller as rotors of high-frequency electric motors.

A partition means may be provided between the spinning chamber and the carding roller, and particularly effective doffing of fibers is attained if a discharge conduit in the housing communicates with a supply channel in a cover provided for the spinning chamber, especially if the connecting passage between the two tapers continuously, that is its cross-section decreases continuously in the direction towards the supply channel which in turn communicates with the spinning chamber whereas the space in the housing is supplied with dotted fibers from the carding roller.

According to the present invention the construction to be outlined herein may be in form of a so-called mono-block wherein the carding rollers, the spinning chamber, the feed roller for sliver and a stop-motion device for checking yarn breakage are disposed in a single housing which is pivotable about an axis. Advantageously, this housing may be swingably mounted on a pin in a hinge and its working position will be secured by a lever mounted on a holder having a detent.

It is particularly advantageous if, in the aforementioned construction, both the hinge and the holder with the housing of the unit are mounted on resilient blocks on the frame of the spinning machine.

Another advantageous embodiment provides for letting the housing swing from its working position into a rest position under its own weight, and for providing a breaking pad or breaking pads which in the rest position are engaged by the pulleys associated with the respective shafts of the spinning chamber and the carding roller for breaking rotation of the same. The breaking pad may be provided on a resilient stirrup, or if there are two or more such breaking pads they also may be arranged on a common resilient stirrup or each on a separate resilient stirrup, or one which is spring biased.

A further embodiment of the invention simplifies the sliver feed mechanism on the one hand and secures immediate stopping of the supply of fibrous material in response to the occurence of a break in the yarn. In this embodiment the feed roller is mounted for free rotation on a shaft, driven from a worm shaft via a toothed gear, and brought into driving engagement by means of claws provided on a clutch plate and a spur-gear clutch disk which is fast on a shaft and provided with a pin engaging a recess in the feed roller. The clutch plate is urged into driving engagement by a spring and out of such engagement by an electromagnetic device.

A further embodiment of the invention provides a simplification of the cover of the spinning chamber and assures ready access to the interior of the spinning chamber for servicing and/ or removal of contaminants or dirt therefrom. In this embodiment the body or housing of the spinning unit or device has an opening communicating with the interior cavity of the housing and is provided with a fixed cover having a cylindrical projection extending into the interior of the spinning chamber, the cover being in turn provided with an aperture extending through the cylindrical projection and with a removable closure for this aperture. This removable closure may be provided eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of both the spinning chamber and the carding roller and the supply channel connecting the carding roller with the interior of the spinning chamber may then pass through the cover and the cylindrical propection into the interior of the spinning chamber to one side of the removable closure, the yarn outlet passage from the spinning chamber being disposed in the removable closure coaxially with the spinning chamber.

This projection mentioned above may itself constitute the removable closure as will be developed further on.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is an axial section through a device representing one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an operate View taken on the section line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1 with parts being broken away for aifording a better view;

FIG. 4 illustrates in axial section the mounting of the spinning chamber and the carding roller in an embodiment where both are disposed coaxially in end-to-end relationship.

FIG. 5' is also an axial section, illustrating another way of mounting the spinning chamber and the carding roller with the former being arranged in a recess of the latter;

FIG. 6 illustrates, in a manner analogous to FIG. 5, a mounting of the spinning chamber within a cavity of the carding roller but with the respective shafts of the two being constructed as rotors of high-frequency motors;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating another embodiment of the cover provided with a removable closure arranged eccentrically;

FIG. 8 is a partial axial section through an arrangement of the closure of the spinning chamber in the cover of the latter;

FIG. 9 illustrates, in partial section, another embodi ment of the arrangement of the removable closure for the spinning chamber;

FIG. 10 is an over-all view, partly in section, of a further embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a section taken on the line XI-XI of FIG. 10, showing the feeding oif sliver via the carding roller, parts having been omitted for the sake of clarity and some details having been shown in partial sections;

FIG. 12. is a view taken in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 shows an exemplary arrangement of a machine utilizing devices according to the embodiment of FIG. 10 with the right-hand side of the machine being only incompletely shown because it is identical to the left-hand side thereof;

FIG. 14 is a section taken on the line XIV-XIV of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view illustrating a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 illustrates an additional embodiment of the invention in somewhat diagrammatic view;

FIG. 17 illustrates an embodiment analogous to but different from the one shown in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 18 illustrates in somewhat diagrammatic view a further embodiment of the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments Discussing now the drawing in detail it will be seen that a spinning chamber 1 is illustrated which is known per se. Such spinning chambers are of the rotatable type, having a cavity formed by two conical surfaces and provided with air-escape channels 2. The spinning chamber 1 is rigid with a shaft 3 which is mounted rotatably by means of anti-friction bearings 4, as for instance illustrated in FIG. 4, within a hollow shaft 5. A carding roller 6 is rigid with the hollow shaft 5 so to be coaxially arranged for slight axial spacing from the spinning chamber 1. The hollow shaft 5 in turn is mounted via additional antifriction bearings 4' in a sleeve member 7 (compare FIG. 4) which is fixedly secured in the housing 8 of a spinning unit. The term spinning unit indicates a device for processing of textile material, that is for the processing of such material from a feeding mechanism to the winding mechanism for the finished yarn. Such spinning units are arranged under lateral sides of a spinning machine in sideby-side relationship and although there is a very great number of such spinning units on each machine, they are all identical so that the detailed description of a single one will suffice.

At the end of the shaft 3 remote from the spinning chamber 1 there is provided a small belt pulley 9, and similarly the end of the hollow shaft 5 remote from the carding roller 6 is also provided with a belt pulley 10. This is shown in FIG. 6 and it will be understood that the shaft 3 of the spinning chamber 1 is thus rotatable within and relative to the hollow shaft 5 of the carding roller 6.

This construction makes it possible to increase the rotational speed of the spinning chamber 1 by the rotational speed of the carding roller 6, if the latter rotates in the same sequence as the spinning chamber 1, but without increasing the load on the bearings. Stating this in a different manner it may be said that the spinning chamber may be rotatated at a higher speed than the maximum permissible speed dictated by the bearings, but that yet the bearings will not be adversely affected. If, for example, the rotational speed of the spinning chamber is 30,000 r.p.m. which in effect is the permissible limit for known bearings available at an economically feasible price, the service life of bearings at this rotational speed is roughly 12,000 working hours. If the rotational speed of the carding roller is approximately 10,000 r.p.m., which is necessary to obtain optimum separation of the fibers, then the spinning chamber in effect attains 40,000 r.p.m. in accordance with the present invention whereas the bearings for the shaft of the spinning chamber are stressed only at 30,000 r.p.m., that is their permissible limit. Of course, this is not only beneficial to the bearings but also increases yarn output.

As shown in FIG. 4 the carding roller 6 is provided on its cylindrical circumferential surface with teeth or projections 6' and, in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 10, it has an axial recess forming an inner space 11. In these embodiments a plurality of airescape channels 2 are provided to improve the operation of the carding roller 6 and these discharge into the inner space 11 from which air is evacuated through discharge channel 12 which opens at the circumferential surface provided with the teeth or projections. This construction provides for a reduction of the noise generated by the escape of air from the spinning chamber and for better dofiing of the fibers from the surface of the carding roller 6 than was heretofore possible.

In FIG. 5 we have illustrated an embodiment wherein the spinning chamber 1 is shown mounted in the carding roller which is here identified with reference numeral 6a, and it will be seen that the spinning chamber is located directly in the inner space 110 to the carding roller 6a,

thus making for a more compact assembly. The air-escape channels 2 of the spinning chamber 1 in this embodiment discharge into an annular recess 111 in the inner space 11a from where the air is evacuated through the discharge channels 12a to the outer peripheral surface of the carding roller 6a and from there into a connecting channel which will still be described.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 the spinning chamber 1 and the carding roller 6 are both driven via the respectively associated pulleys 9 and 10 by suitable drive belts which are not shown because they are known per se. In the embodiment of FIG. 6 the drive belts and belt pulleys are eliminated because the drive of the spinning chamber 1 and the carding roller 6 is effected via highfrequency motors 13 and 14 with the respective shafts of the spinning chamber and the carding roller being constructed as rotors of these high-frequency motors.

The antifriction bearings illustrated in the embodiments of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 for mounting the spinning chamber in the carding roller 6 may be so-called double-sleeve bearings, but conventional bearings may also be utilized as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1, 2 and 18 the spinning chamber 1 is fixed with the shaft 3 which is rotatably mounted in the bearings 4, the latter being disposed in the hollow shaft 5 of the carding roller 6 which shaft 5 is in turn rotatably mounted via the bearings 4' in the housing 8 of the spinning unit. The housing 8 is attached to a frame 15 of a spinning machine and can assume either a vertical or a horizontal position. Feed rollers 16 and an opening 8' for feeding a sliver 17 of fibrous materials are provided in the housing 8 oppositely to the peripheral surface of the carding roller 6. The feed rollers 16 are driven by a drive wheel 18 and a chain 19 which are illustrated only diagrammatically. In the embodiments according to FIGS. 10 and 17 the drive is different, as will still be described.

It will be seen that the housing 8 of the spinning unit surrounds both the spinning chamber 1 and the carding roller 6 and has an open side at the front or outlet side of the spinning chamber 1 which is closed by a cover 20. In this cover 20 there is provided a removable closure 21 having an outlet channel 28 for the withdrawal of yarn 23 spun in the spinning chamber 1, and a supply channel 22 which communicates with the carding roller 6 for feeding fibers from the latter into the spinning chamber 1 and onto the inner collecting surface of the latter which is located at the point of greatest inner circumference of the spinning chamber cavity. At its interior the cover 20 is provided with a cylindrical projection 24 extending into the cavity of the spinning chamber 1. The supply channel 22 discharges onto a cylindrical surface 25 of the cylindrical projection 24 and, as will be seen, the supply channel 22 tapers towards its outlet and communicates with a similarly tapering connecting channel 26 located exteriorly of the housing 8 and connecting the supply channel 22 with a discharge space 27 of the housing 8 in the vicinity of the carding roller 6. The latter hurls the separated fibers by centrifugal force and under the influence of an air stream produced by the rotation of the carding roller and by the ventilating effect of the air-escape channels 2, into the discharge space 27. A removable closure 21 is provided in the cover 20 which serves for obtaining access to the interior of the spinning chamber 1 to permit servicing and/ or cleaning of the latter. The diameter of the removable closure 21 is determined by the dimensions of the cylindrical projection 24 as Well as by the configuration of the supply channel 22 so as not to interfere with the latter. The supply channel 2 discharges, as already pointed out, onto the cylindrical surface 25 of the projection 24 as best shown in FIG. 2.

To improve the arrangement of the supply channel 22 the removable closure 21 may be eccentrically arranged in the projection 24 in the manner shown in FIG. 7. The yarn delivery channel 28 is, however, always disposed on the rotational axis of the spinning chamber 1. It will be appreciated that the removable closure 21 may be attached to the cover via various arresting means, for example by means of a ball 29 and a spring 30 which, as shown in FIG. 8, provide a snub-action arresting means. The removable closure 21 may also be so constructed that it is itself constituted by the cylindrical projection 24 which comprises the delivery channel 28 for the yarn 23, a portion of the supply channel 22 and the arresting means 29, 30. The latter construction is particularly advantageous because it increases the size of the opening which provides access to the cavity of the spinning chamber 1, thus enabling better servicing and/or cleaning of the supply channel 22 as well.

In FIG. 1 the housing 8 of the spinning unit is also provided with an outlet channel 31 for air evacuation. This channel 31 is, however, optional and the air may instead circulate via the spinning chamber 1, the carding roller 6, the connecting channel 26, the supply channel 22 and back to the spinning chamber 1.

Arranged above the spinning unit are positively driven Withdrawing rollers 32 for withdrawing the yarn 23 from the spinning chamber 1. A well known traverse roller 33 is provided for cross-winding the yarn 23 onto a bobbin 34 and for providing frictional driving of the latter. Drive means for the rollers 32 and 33 has not been illustrated because this is conventional and would only render the illustration confusing.

In FIGS. -13 we have illustrated another embodiment of the invention. Here, a frame of a textile machine carries the housings 8 of the various spinning units. Each of the housings 8 is mounted on the frame 15 in swingable manner via a hinge eye 35 and a hinge 36, connected by the aid of a pin 37. The hinge 36 is attached to the frame 15 of the machine via a resilient block 38 which serves to absorb vibrations of the housing 8, and the lower portion of the housing 8 is provided with a recess 39 with the aid of which the housing 8 is normally pulled to its Working position, illustrated in FIG. 10, by means of a lever 40 which is pivotable on a pin 41 of a holder 42 which in turn is secured to the frame 15 of the machine by the intermediary of a resilient block 38. The lever 40 is normally urged into engagement with the recess 39 by a spring 43.

It will be seen that the housing 8 of each unit contains all components necessary for the spinning operation and constitutes therewith a compact assembly. The carding roller 6 is arranged in the manner described earlier and in this embodiment is driven via the belt pulley 10 from a drive belt 45. The spinning chamber 1 is also diven via its belt pulley 9 by a drive belt 451. A cover closes the housing 8 at the front end of the spinning chamber and is provided with a removable closure 21 affording access to the cavity or interior of the spinning chamber 1. A stopmotion device 46 is provided which, via nonillustrated contacts and a similarly nonillustrated electric circuit,

actuates a signal device 47, for instance a lamp, whenever a yarn break is detected. Simultaneously, the stop-motion device 46 will actuate an electromagnetic device 48 for the purpose of interrupting the drive of a feed roller 49. The electromagnetic device 48 is arranged in the cover 20 and serves to control the feed roller 49 which is located partly in the cover 20 and partly in the housing 8 of the spinning unit and is driven from a worm shaft 50 via a toothed wheel or gear 51. It will be appreciated that the drive of the feed roller 49 may be carried out in various ditferent ways, for example via a central chain as shown in FIG. -1, or in any other well known manner.

The wheel 51 is rigid with a shaft 52 which supports the feed roller 49 for free rotation relative to the shaft 52. The feed roller 49 is provided with a recess 53. A clutch disk is secured on the shaft 53 and provided with axially extending claws 541. A clutch plate 55 is mounted for free rotation on the shaft 52 and provided with claws 551 which are adapted to engage with the claws 541 of the clutch disk 54. Furthermore, the clutch plate is provided with an axially extending pin 56 which continuously engages in the recess 53 of the feed roller 49. The clutch plate 55 is urged into engagement with the disk 54 by a spring 57, and an electromagnet 48 is provided for moving it out of engagement so that it is moveable between an engaged and a disengaged position.

As shown in FIG. 11, a swingable condensing trumpet 58 for feeding a sliver 59 is arranged closely adjacent to the feed roller 49. The latter in turn is adjacent to the carding roller 6 which serves to separate the fibers of the sliver and conveys them into the discharge space 27 from where they enter the connecting channel 26 opening into the supply channel 22 which latter opens onto the cylindrical surface 25 of the projection 24 extending into the cavity of spinning chamber 1. The channel 26 is similar to the one shown in FIG. 1 except that in the present embodiment it is provided directly in the housing 8, as seen in FIG. 11.

A cleaning opening 60 is provided adjacent the feed roller in the housing 8, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, and this serves for cleaning of the carding roller 6 in case the latter becomes clogged, as well as to enable the aspiration of additional air towards the feed roller 49 so as to facilitate the separation and the transport of fibers from the carding roller 6. An adjustable cover 61 is provided which serves to close the opening 60 and which has a groove 62 for regulating the amount of air passing therethrough, an attachment screw 63 being provided for securing purposes.

As pointed out before, the housing 8 of the spinning unit, containing all components for carrying out the spinning operation, is swingably mounted on the hinge pin 37 and may assume two extreme positions. One of these is the working position in which the belt pulley 10 and the pulley 9 are in contact with the drive belts 45, 451 respectively and are driven by the same. In the rest position the housing 8 is tilted in such a manner as to disengage both the pulley 9 and the pulley 10 from their respective drive belts as shown in broken lines in FIG. 10. As the housing 8 is turned or tilted to this rest position, the toothed wheel 51 is disengaged from the worm shaft 50 and the pulleys 10 and 9 move into engagement with the braking paths 64 which are disposed on a joint resilient stirrup 65. It will be appreciated, however, that the embodiment and the location of the braking paths 64 may be different from what is illustrated in FIG. 10. Further embodiments are shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 where the braking paths 64 are mounted for separate adjustment on individual resilient stirrups 65. This independent mounting is advantageous because it makes it possible for each of the braking paths 64 to adjust itself more closely to the respectively associated belt pulley 9 and 10.

The monoblock arrangement of the spinning units, free from planes of separation in the housing, provides for a relatively simple construction and makes it possible to exchange any incorrectly operating spinning unit while the machine is in operation, as is clearly evident from FIGS. 13 and 14. The drive of all spinning units is effected by the centrally located drive belt 45, 451 which extend the entire length of the machine and which are disposed in the illustrated embodiment on a stepped pulley 66 driven by a motor 67. Supply means, for instance sliver laps 69 are arranged on swing levers 68 in the lower portion of the machine, and in the upper part the traverse rollers 33 and the receiving bobbins 34, the latter supported on swing arms 17, are shown.

The individual spinning units, each consisting of a housing 8 and the associated components outlined above, may be positioned in the machine vertically or horizontally with respect to an imaginary axis passing through both the spinning chamber and the carding roller associated with the respective unit. Furthermore, the hinge pivot 37 need not necessarily be disposed in the upper part of the respective spinning unit, as in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 10, but may instead be arranged at the lower part of the housing of the individual spinning unit in the manner shown in FIG. 17. The feed roller for feeding the sliver may also be disposed in the lower part of the housing 8. It is necessary, however, that all components be located within the housing 8 of the respective spinning unit and that this housing 8 be pivotable about a pivot axis.

In FIG. 1 the cover 20' which closes the spinning chamber is fixedly secured by means of screws but it will be appreciated that this securing may also be effected by sliding or turning, for instance via a bayonet-type closure. Alternately, the cover 20 may be swingably secured on the housing 8 and held in place by means of a lever and a detent or recess.

In FIG. 18 we have illustrated how the spinning chamber and a carding roller 6 may be arranged coaxially with axial spacing, similar to the arrangement in FIG. 4, except that in FIG. 18 a partition means 71 is provided between the spinning chamber 1 and the carding roller 6. This embodiment does not have a closed air circulation and the partition 71 serves to prevent air from streaming between the spinning chamber and the carding roller. This improves the performance of the device because it improves the air flow conditions.

The apparatus according to the present invention will operate as follows:

The spinning machine utilizing the apparatus is started by means of for instance a pushbutton provided on a control panel 72, as shown in FIG. 13. The belts 45, 451 are driven by the motor 67 and in turn drive the spinning chamber 1 and the carding roller 6. The worm shaft 50 which is common to all of the spinning apparatuses or units, and the co-operating toothed wheels 51 actuate the individual feed rollers 49. The yarn withdrawing mechanism, that is the traverse rollers 33, the withdrawing rollers 32 and the bobbins 34, are put into operation. The stop-motion device 36 for checking yarn breaks is put into operational readiness when the machine is started. When each spinning unit is in operational condition, as shown in FIG. 10, the pulleys 9 and are in contact with the respective drive belts 45, 451. Feed roller 49 is driven, as pointed out before, via the worm shaft 50 and the associated toothed wheel 51. The spring 57 pushes the clutch plate 55 to the right so that its claws 551 mesh with the claws 541 of the clutch disk 54 which is rigid with the shaft 52. Because the clutch plate 55 is also provided with the pin 56 which projects into the recess 53 of the feed roller 49, rotary movement is transmitted from the shaft 52 via the plate 55, the pin 56, the disk 54 to the feed roller 49 which is mounted for free rotation relative to the shaft 52. The condensing trumpet 58 abuts resiliently against feed roller 49, as shown in FIG. 11, and the sliver 59 of the textile fibers is introduced into this trumpet 58 from the sliver lap 69 shown in FIG. 13. The feed roller 49 feeds sliver to the carding roller 6 which separates or combs-out the fibers from the sliver. Underpressure is generated in the interior of the spinning chamber 1 due to the rotation thereof and this results in the flow of air from the carding roller 6 through the channel 26 into the spinning chamber 1 and back to the carding roller 6. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 the air from the spinning chamber 1 goes into the outlet channel 31 and the fibers are doffed from the surface of the carding roller 6 by centrifugal force and by the aforementioned air stream and conveyed through the connecting channel 26 and the supply channel 22 into the spinning chamber 1 where they deposit themselves on the aforementioned collecting surface. If a loose end of yarn 23 located outside the housing 8 is returned back into the delivery channel 28 to reestablish continuity of the yarn after a break, the loose end is sucked into the spinning chamber 1 because of the prevailing underpressure and connects up with the fibers deposited on the collecting surface. During normal operation yarn 23 is continuously withdrawn from the spinning chamber 1 and the fibers which are deposited on the collecting surface are continuously being spun into yarn which, after withdrawal, is wound onto the bobbin 34. The yarn 23 which is being withdrawn is checked for continuity by the stop-motion device 46 which, if a break in the yarn 23 occurs, indicates this by lighting or otherwise shorting the signal device 47, for instance a lamp, and also energizes the electromagnetic device 48 which attracts the clutch plate 55 against the biasing action of the spring 57. Displacement of clutch plate 55 to the left, towards the electromagnetic device 48, results in disengagement of the clutch plate claws 551 from the clutch disk claws 541. This interrupts transmission of motion to the feed roller 49. The pin 56 is, however, made sufficiently long so that it will not be withdrawn from the recess 53 of the feed roller 49 whereby the latter is brought to a stop simultaneously with the clutch plate 55 because of the projecting pin 56. Together with stopping of the feed roller 49, the supply of sliver 59 is also stopped to avoid clogging of the spinning chamber 1 while the break in the yarn is removed by the machine operator. The stop-motion device 49 has not been described in detail because it may be of conventional type and is Well known. Removal of yarn breakage is effected manually by introducing the trailing end of a yarn 23 into the delivery channel 28. In the event that a significant amount of contaminants or dirt has accumulated in the spinning chamber 1, which would be capable of causing yarn breakage, it is merely necessary to remove the closure 21 so as to gain access to the spinning chamber 1 for cleaning purposes. As soon as the spinning chamber 1 is reprimed, that is when the trailing yarn end has been returned through the delivery channel 28, the stop-motion device 46 is neutralized, that is it is placed into operative position where it will serve to detect yarn breaks, and this de-activates electromagnetic device 48 so that the clutch plate 55 is now displaced to the right under the action of the spring 57. The claws 551 mesh with the claws 541 and the feed roller 49 is again driven whereby the supply of fibers to the spinning chamber 1 is resumed.

If it is necessary for any reason, for example because a significant amount of dirt has accumulated in the spinning chamber 1, to put the affected spinning unit out of operation for servicing, this can be accomplished in simple manner by tilting the lever 40 so that the latter is disengaged from the detent 39 provided on the housing 8 of the affected spinning unit. The latter will then tilt clockwise under its own weight about the pin 37 whereby both the pulley 9 and the pulley 1t) are disengaged from the drive belts 45 and 451, respectively, and move into abutment with the braking pads 64, thus resulting in stopping of rotation of the spinning chamber 1 and the carding roller 6. This tilting also results in simultaneous disengagement of the associated toothed wheel 51 from the common worm shaft 50 so that the feed roller 49 is also stopped. To restart the affected spinning unit it need simply be pivoted in opposite sense until the lever 40 engages with the detent 39 and serves to lock the unit in place again. The entire machine, which of course comprises a large number of individual units here disclosed, is controlled for operation from the panel '72. This is however mentioned only by way of explanation because it does not constitute a part of the invention.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an apparatus for spinning of fibrous material, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adopt it for various applications without omitting features that from the standpoint of prior art fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for ringless spinning of fibrous material, the combination of a housing defining an internal cavity; carding roller means for carding fibrous material and being mounted for rotation in said cavity and including a driven hollow first shaft member; spinning chamber means for spinning fibrous material carded by said carding roller means and being mounted for rotation in said cavity and having a driven second shaft member extending through said hollow first shaft member; and antifriction bearing means mounting said second shaft member in said hollow first shaft member for rotation relative thereto.

2. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said bearing means mounts said second shaft member in said hollow first shaft member coaxially with the latter.

3. In an apparatus as defined in claim 2, said carding roller means comprising a carding roller having an outer peripheral surface and being formed with an inner space and channels connecting said inner space with said outer peripheral surface, said spinning chamber means compris ing fluid-discharge conduits at least some of which discharge into said inner space of said carding roller.

4. In an apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said spinning chamber means comprises a spinning chamber at least partly located in said inner space for rotation relative to said carding roller.

5. In an apparatus as defined in claim 3,. said inner space being bounded by a wall formed with an annular recess communicating with said channels, and at least some of said conduits discharging into said annular recess.

6. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1; and further comprising pulleys provided on each of said shaft member.

7. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1; and further comprising drive means including an electromotor associated with each of said shaft members for driving the same, each of said electromotors having a stator and each of said shaft members being constructed and operative as a rotor cooperating with the stator of the respectively associated electromotor.

8. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1; and further comprising conduit means connecting said carding roller means with said spinning chamber means for transmitting carded fibrous material from the former to the latter.

9. In an apparatus as defined in claim 8, said conduit means having a cross-sectional area which decreases in direction from said carding roller means towards said spinning chamber means.

10. In an apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said cross-sectional area of said conduit means decreases continuously in direction from said carding roller means towards said spinning chamber means.

11. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, said carding roller means comprising a carding roller and said spinning chamber means comprising a spinning chamber arranged with slight axial spacing from said carding roller; and further comprising partition means interposed in the space between said carding roller and said spinning chamber.

12. In an apparatus as defined in claim 6; further comprising supply means operative for supplying fibrous material to said carding roller means; and detector means for detecting discontinuities in the yarn spun by said spinning chamber means, said detector means being associated with said supply means and being operative for terminating operation of the same in response to detection of a discontinuity in the yarn spun by said spinning chamber means.

13. In an apparatus as defined in claim 12, said detector means being arranged in said housing means; and said supply means comprising a feed roller also arranged in said housing means and a drive arrangement for said feed roller arranged outside said housing means; and pivot means mounting said housing means for pivoting movement between an operative position in which said drive arrangement is in driving engagement with said feed roller, and an inoperative position in which said drive means is out of driving engagement with said feed roller.

14-. In an apparatus as defined in claim 13; and further comprising holding means normally holding said housing in said operative position and arranged to permit movement of said housing to said inoperative position in response to detection of a yarn discontinuity by said detector means.

15. In an apparatus as defined in claim 14; further comprising support means for said housing means; and resilient means resiliently mounting said pivot means and said housing means on said support means.

16. In an apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said housing means is mounted so as to have a permanent tendency to move to said inoperative position under the influence of gravity; further comprising a pair of drive belts each associated with one of said pulleys for transmitting motion thereto and thereby to the associated shaft member; and frictional braking means positioned so as to engage and efiect frictional braking of the respective drive belt in response to movement of said housing means to said inoperative position to thereby stop rotation of said shaft members.

17. In an apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said braking means comprises a pair of braking pads.

18. In an apparatus as defined in claim 17; further comprising a resilient mounting structure, said braking pads being carried by said resilient mounting structure.

19. In an apparatus as defined in claim 17; further comprising a pair of separate resilient mounting structures, and wherein the braking pads associated with said pulleys are carried by the respective mounting structures.

20. In an apparatus as defined in claim 13, said feed roller comprising an axle and being mounted thereon for free rotation; and said drive arrangement comprising a driven Worm gear and a toothed wheel rigid with said axle and associated with said worm gear for driving said feed roller.

21. In an apparatus as defined in claim 20, said drive arrangement further comprising a clutch disc mounted on and rigid with said axle, a clutch plate freely surrounding said axle juxtaposed with said clutch disc and being provided with a pin'said feed roller having an endface facing said pin and provided with a recess receiving said pin, and means for urging said clutch plate into motion-transmitting engagement with said clutch disc.

22. In an apparatus as defined in claim 21; and further comprising electromagnetic means operable for moving said clutch plate out of motion-transmitting engagement with said clutch disc.

23. In an apparatus as defined in claim 8, said internal cavity having an open end, said housing means comprising a cover adapted to close said open end and including a cylindrical projection extending into said cavity and being provided with an aperture in said projection which communicates with said cavity when said projection is received in the latter, said cover including a removable closure for said aperture.

24. In an apparatus as defined in claim 23, said removable closure being arranged eccentrically with ref erence to the axis of rotation of said spinning chamber and being provided with an outlet passage for yarn spun by said spinning chamber which outlet passage is aligned with said axis of rotation of said spinning chamber.

25. In an apparatus as defined in claim 24, said conduit means being 1n part provided in said cover and extending in said projection laterally of said removable closure.

26. In an apparatus as defined in claim 23, said cylindrical projection being removable from said cover and constituting said removable closure.

27. Apparatus according to claim 1; further comprising drive means for driving said first shaft member at a first speed and said second shaft member at a higher second speed and in the same direction as said first shaft member, the speed of rotation of said second shaft member relative to said antifriction bearing means being reduced in response to rotation of said first shaft member in the same direction as said second shaft member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,119,223 1/1964 Meimberg 5758i95 XR 3,121,306 2/1964 Cizek et al 5758.89 3,375,649 4/1968 Bures et al 57-58.91

1O JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner W. H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner 

